Misery Loves Company
by Ms. Trixster
Summary: Her jaw in His impending grasp, "These fantasies of yours are imprudent, Bella.. Yet, I must confess, I find them quite intriguing.." - Bellamort.


Disclaimer: I do not claim to own _Harry Potter_.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1.<strong>  
><strong>That Will Never Happen<strong>

Paying absolutely no mind to the distinct blue and purple pigmentation staining the young woman's body, the mother continued fastening the narrow fashioned clothing. With every tug at the laced threads, the girl whimpered in bashful agony. The pain she endured was noting in comparison to what she'd receive if she refused to cooperate, or _dare_ to propose the topic of how she'd received the hideous bruises in the first place. They were inconsequential and nothing out of the ordinary.

With a final tug, "_Ouch_".

"Hush. You don't want to disappoint your father do you?"

"Of course not, mother." a bit of disdain in her tone.

"There now. Let me look at you."

She did as she was told, spinning on a heel to face her mother, allowing her mother to take in her beauty. The contrast of midnight silk against her milky demeanor illuminated a soft, unmistakable glow. Frivolous long curls arranged in a delicate posture, enhancing the young woman's predominant facial features. Her mother gazed at her, not with a loving affection like most mothers would, but with a bitter pride.

Turning to view herself in the mirror, she delicately fingered the embroidery, arching a brow. Indeed she looked quite beautiful, yet the smallest ounce of displeasure stained her visage.

"You don't like it?" her mother asked, concerned.

"It will do." she bit, briskly deserting her less than satisfying reflection in the mirror.

A knock at the door, "Yes?" her mother called, and in walked a small, pointy-eared creature with a large, hooked nose.

"Your guests have arrived, madame."

The young woman plopped herself down in a seat, quite irritated.

"_Bella_." her mother warned.

And Bellatrix gave an insolent roll of her eyes, which did not go unnoticed by her father who stood just outside the doorway. With prominent steps, Cygnus entered his daughter's room, arms crossed behind his back and an obscure smile on his lips. Halting in front of her, his eyes narrowed.

"My dear," he too warned, "let's not keep our guests waiting."

Several moments of eerie silence was demonstrated and the house elf slunk out of them room. Then, without warning, the young woman shot up from her seat, and decorative items from her dresser began to shatter and explode, aggressively close to her father's head, and Druella, startled, jumped as a shard of porcelain nearly hit her.

Cygnus' temper peaked and he took the back of his daughter's neck in a compelling grip with an overwhelming desire to snap it.

"I've had enough of your tantrums." he spat furiously, and with a final brink of his patience, he shoved her toward the door. "_Go_." he demanded with a cold glower. Druella stood behind her husband, overlooking the scene, and glaring at her daughter in disappointment.

Without a word, Bella bitterly turned from her parents and advanced downstairs, her parents charging behind her.

Accompanying the Black family for an exquisite supper: the Lestrange family. Much to her dismay, Bella was seated across from their son, Rodolphus. Lately things were a bit awkward between the two. Having attended Hogwarts together for several years now, both placed in Slytherin, a friendship of a kind had evolved. A _friendship_ and nothing more.

Bella's dark hues, piercing in a furious gaze at Rodolphus in which he responded with a furrow of his brow, confused as to why she was staring at him that way. He knew Bella was quite temperamental, to put it lightly, but he couldn't recall any reasoning for this. Subtly, his lips moved, to silently ask "_What_?" When he received no response, he lowered his head, contemplating what he could have done.

And no sooner did he, a wave of understanding washed over him.

_She knew_. Damn his parents. He should have known they wouldn't have kept their mouths shut about it. Not something like this. _This_ was strongly wished upon by both their families, and her parents had undoubtedly pressed the matter already.

Having grown irritated by this realization, Rodolphus' eyes rose with a similar glare as Bella's toward his parents, before meeting hers once more. She daringly arched a brow at this. Yes, she knew..

"Excuse me.." he rose from the table and exited the room. Bella following close behind in an angry stride. Their parents exchanged glances, smirking.

They met in the sitting room, and Rodolphus parted his lips to speak, though not given the chance, "_Marry you_?" Bella inquired, mockingly.

Rodolphus didn't really know what to say. He hadn't expected a reaction quite like this. "Your parents gave you a hard time about it I presume." met with silence, he continued, "Forgive me. I didn't mean for you to find out this way. I wanted to ask this of you myself – without the interjection of either of our families." he explained.

Bella had expected this to a certain extent, to be married off, so to speak, to an acceptable, pureblood like herself. That's the way it was. The way it should be. It was entirely beneath her to marry anyone of lesser blood. But this however – _Rodolphus_. It was absolutely absurd. She'd never viewed him as anything more than a friend and the act being implored by her parents, as well as his, infuriated her, more so did the fact that he, as far as she was concerned, had used his parents to 'tie the knot'.

Approaching that little detail, "How _dare_ you – using your parents - !"

Again, Rodolphus attempted a response, and was cut off once more with Bella's hand striking his cheek. It surprised him, but only slightly. He was fairly used to Bella's antics and enjoyed them even.

Bella looked on with rage, daringly, wishing he would argue back.

Gathering his composure, he took a seat, "That wasn't my plan, Bella. I regret even mentioning it to them." a long pause, and he continued, "It is expected of us. Whomever would you anticipate I choose to elope with?" he asked almost heartily, and he approached her in a confident manner, "There is no other more suitable for I than you, dear Bella." he finished, a finger gently teasing her jawline.

Spitefully, she shoved his hand away with a sharp hiss. "_That_ will never happen, Rodolphus." she spat before storming out of the room, and Rodolphus merely smirked.

Positively enraged, she refused to return to that dinner table. She didn't care what her parents thought, or his, or what her father would do to her. Surely he would be infuriated. At some point in the evening she would no doubt be _dealt with_. The man always insured he got what he wanted. Meanwhile, her mother would try and coax her into it, with warning of her father's limitless temper, and as always, reinforcing conversations on the importance of blood purity and its ever endangered health. Bellatrix was brought up with these conversations, enforcing a strong, shared belief in the importance of blood purity with her parents. Rodolphus' family too shared this belief, as much so as Bella's.

If not only for the mere fact that Bellatrix held no romantic feelings for Rodolphus whatsoever, marriage was not high on her list of priorities. In her mind, she was undergoing the greatest act of encouraging blood purity, and she did so ruthlessly. Determined to make her Master proud first and foremost.

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><p>AN: I do hope you enjoyed this. Don't be shy; leave me a review, dears. Thank you for reading.


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